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Musselburgh – Preview 1st January 2022

Gordon Brown – Race Reporter

Gordon has a wealth of experience of racing through his background in the written and broadcast media. His current principle role is reporting and supporting the scene in Scotland on Racing TV and relaying the latest news with Scottish angles.

LAST year’s hero Blakeney Point is one of four course and distance winners lining up for the Betway Hogmaneigh Handicap Hurdle.

He is trained by Donald McCain, who is also represented by Fiveandtwenty – another scorer on the same card twelve months ago – in the £30,000 two-mile contest.

Tommy’s Oscar, trained in Northumberland by Ann Hamilton, was a gallant runner-up in the Scottish Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in February.

The other £30,000 feature is the Betway “Auld Reekie” Handicap Chase over 2m 4f.

In a tight-looking betting heat, Bryony Frost rides the likely favourite Paul Nicholls-trained Amour De Nuit, who was third in the 2018 Scottish County Hurdle.

Frost, also booked by Nicholls for the mount on Carry On The Magic in the opening race, is returning to where her career was launched.

It was back in 2015 at Musselburgh that she gained her maiden success under Rules on Current Event and her current strike-rate of 45 per-cent (five wins from eleven mounts) is the best she has recorded at any British jumps venue.

Midlothian teenager Conner McCann has gained all three of his wins so far at Musselburgh and rides Aurora Thunder for his boss Lucinda Russell in the £20,000 Betway Hair Of The Dog Handicap Hurdle.